The Bathurst 12 Hour will revert back to a three-day event in 2020 and keep its now-traditional early February date.

Having experimented with a four-day format in 2019, organisers have opted to return to the three-day set-up for 2020 and will start proceedings with practice on Friday.

That means no active track action on the Thursday, although the street parade concept that was trialled ahead of this year's event is set to return.

The Bathurst 12 Hour has also locked in the first weekend of February for the 2020 race with practice starting on January 31 and the race itself on February 2.

There had been rumours that the event could move to an earlier January date to avoid clashing with the Australian Open men's tennis final.

The Australian Open is scheduled for the same Sunday as the Bathurst 12 Hour after being moved back a week compared to this year.

An earlier date could have also helped facilitate an earlier start to the Supercars season. But moving it a week earlier would have meant a clash with the Daytona 24 that would rule out a number of teams and drivers.

The event will continue to be the opening round of the Intercontinental GT Challenge, thanks to a fresh deal with SRO that covers 2020 and 2021.

"Plans are already well underway for the 2020 Liqui-Moly Bathurst 12 Hour and we are pleased to once again lock in the event's position at the beginning of the Australian motorsport calendar," said event director Kurt Sakzewski.

"There will be three days of on-track activity which will be preceded by the return of 'Town to Track', which proved hugely popular this year.

"We are already working with the Bathurst Regional Council to expand on the concept for next year and make it bigger and better than ever.

"Our relationship with the SRO Motorsports Group has been ongoing for some time and it was natural to extend and grow that partnership.

"The growth of the Intercontinental GT Challenge, presented by Pirelli, has been exciting and Bathurst has been part of it since the beginning.

"Manufacturers see the value in participating in such a global series and continue to do so.

"Next year we are expecting to see new or upgraded models from McLaren, Porsche, Lamborghini and Aston Martin at Bathurst for the first time, plus the potential of other brands yet to tackle Australia's International endurance race making their debut."

How Sauber created its greatest legacyIn the latest part of the series celebrating 50 years of the much-loved Swiss outfit, we examine how Sauber's partnership with Mercedes and its famous junior drivers helped produce its greatest legacy in racing1591315200WEC

What makes a great racing circuit?OPINION: F1 circuit design has changed over the years, and the old public-road layouts have given way to purpose-built autodromes. But what makes a great circuit, and could 'classic'-influenced designs offer a way for F1 to return to its roots?1591228800F1

The twin-keel car that took Sauber to new heightsSauber's opening years in Formula 1 were often spent struggling against the tide, but an innovative suspension design for 2001 and a pair of raw, young talents behind the wheel helped the Swiss squad to the front of the midfield order1591228800F1

Giant-killers: The Lister smash-and-grab to stun FIA GTIt might have been a proven package, but the Jamie Campbell-Walter-driven Lister was not the favourite to win the 2002 FIA GT season-opener at Magny-Cours. Yet, despite amateur co-driver Nicolaus Springer losing a minute during his middle stint, that's exactly what it did, thanks to inspired driving and clever strategy1589990044GT

How Hill set Alonso a challenge for the futureFernando Alonso's quest for motorsport's triple crown has captured the imagination in recent years. Here's how Graham Hill completed the set, from the 3 January 2013 issue of Autosport magazine1591430573WEC

Sebastian Vettel's top F1 wins rankedWith 53 Formula 1 wins to his name so far, Sebastian Vettel has produced some of the greatest all-timedrives. Here is how his best of the best filter down1591434906F1

Please note that unauthorised reproduction or translation of any content (including words, data, information, photos, videos and any other intellectual property) published on this page and any other copyrighted content published on Autosport.com is strictly prohibited. Please see our terms and conditions for further information.